SHIA’S SPIRAL: From Mardi Gras brawls to courtroom outbursts, Shia LaBeouf is back in cuffs. Is this his final act or just another rehab detour? Danye Too Hot For YouTube
Shia LaBeouf was ordered to rehab last week after his New Orleans boozy rager, a penalty insiders derided as a “celebrity punishment” to Page Six — and one the star doesn’t think he needs.
Although the troubled actor had been lying low, his bar brawl with two men in which he allegedly hurled homophobic slurs during Mardi Gras celebrations in The Big Easy put him firmly back in the spotlight.
But those who know LaBeouf fear this punishment won’t truly help the 39-year-old “Transformers” star, who was charged with two misdemeanor counts of simple battery, with a third added Saturday.
Indeed, sources who have been in his orbit for years call him a “master manipulator” who is “very adept at playing the role of a good guy in recovery trying to be a better self.”
LaBeouf has long been accused of subjecting women in his life — including Brit singer FKA Twigs, his estranged wife Mia Goth and stylist Karolyn Pho — to toxic and abusive behavior.
“He’s just so good at convincing people and potential partners; they all fall for it,” said one LaBeouf source.
Page Six is told Goth came close to joining Twigs, real name Tahliah Barnett, in her 2020 suit against the star, in which she accused him of sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress.
“He’s so convincing when he says, ‘I’ve been in recovery, I’m making amends, I’m flawed — I had this terrible childhood and this terrible past,'” the source added.
On Thursday, LaBeouf – who was seen drinking a beer and kissing a woman after his Feb. 17 arrest outside the R Bar – avoided jail time by agreeing to enroll in substance abuse treatment, undergo drug testing and post a $100,000 bond.
However, one legal source dubbed this “celebrity punishment,” adding it could involve the actor simply checking in to an online service.
“This guy has got to find a way to get sober or die; eventually this is all going to a tragic ending” said another source who knows LaBeouf.
“His behavior sounds like an addict,” the source added, “It’s just sad that someone with so much to live for continually puts himself at risk.”
Despite this, LaBeouf doesn’t believe he’s an addict — and doesn’t think he needs rehab.
In an interview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghan released Saturday morning before his second arrest, LaBeouf admitted, “It’s not nice to hurt people ever. It’s f–king lame. People got hurt. I got to deal with that. I’mma deal with that in full. I’ll eat it all,” he added. “It was on me. It’s not on them. It’s on me. I messed up.”
When asked if he takes responsibility for the fight, LaBeouf replied, “Definitely. Yeah. 1,000 percent.”
The actor said he believes he has a “small man complex,” explaining, “I think it’s something that has to do with anger and ego more so than my drinking.”
He added: “I’ll be honest with you, big gay people are scary to me. I’m standing by myself, and three gay dudes are next to me, touching my leg, I get scared. I’m sorry if that’s homophobic. Then I’m that.”
LaBeouf certainly appears a mess. He has been to rehab multiple times for alcohol addiction, including a 2014 arrest in NYC when he screamed out obscenities during a Broadway performance of “Cabaret”.
Originally Posted On Page Six
